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My Superfood Breakfast Smoothie – Using Tea as the Base

When I was at Expo West this past Spring, I was talking with Jerry Zeifman, president of Health Matters America, a distributor of various organic foods, and asked him what he eats for breakfast.

Jerry, who looks looks about 10 years younger than his actual age, told me that he drinks smoothies filled with superfoods and uses organic herbal tea as his base.

Immediately, I thought to myself, “Using tea in a smoothie? Yeah, that makes total sense. Why didn’t I think of that?”

While I had been making the exact same smoothies as Jerry, I was using Brazil nut milk instead of organic tea.

I have since cut back on nut milk and make it about twice per week but am now incorporating tea a majority of the time, thanks to Jerry.

My Recipe

Since the smoothie is a cold drink, I brew the herbal tea the night before and put it in the fridge so it will be ready for the morning.

Then, I add my superfoods. For this smoothie, I am using:

– Sprouted chia seed powder from Organic Traditions.  While I had been using chia seeds for a while, Jerry turned me onto this sprouted chia seed powder at Expo East 2010 in Boston. The powder is much more absorbable than the seeds themselves.

Sprouted chia seed powder is a great source of protein and Omega-3s. Plus, it helps to give the smoothies texture.

– Protein powder from Sun Warrior. This is a brand that is growing tremendously in popularity and has an excellent taste.  While I do use one other whey protein powder, Sun Warrior is raw and vegan.

– Maca powder from Sunfood. Maca, thousands of years old and from the Andes, is an exceptional source of energy, strength and vitality.

– The honey is from Honey Republic, which I discovered at Expo West 2011, and tastes fantastic.

– The baobab powder from Baobab Foods is another product that I found at Expo West 2011. National Geographic Magazine claims that this African fruit has “six times as much vitamin C as oranges, twice as much calcium as milk, and plenty of B vitamins, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, and antioxidants.”

– The organic tea that I am using here is from Numi and it is a green Rooibos. I am very happy to be drinking more herbal tea because I truly believe in its healing powers.

Another organic tea that I really like and which seems to be getting a lot of buzz lately is Guayusa tea from Ecuador. Watch the video I shot with the founders of Runa Guayusa Tea and learn how it is so different than the other teas on the market.

– Organic bananas, which are not pictured.

I put all of these ingredients into my Blend-Tec blender and let it run for about 10 seconds.

So, my breakfast routine as of late looks like this.

I start off with my 4 ounces of wheatgrass, wait about 30 minutes, and then drink my superfood breakfast smoothie.

This has been a great way to begin my day and by the time I get to the office, I am feeling light and incredibly energized.